


Blood & Gold

by ironmanic



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Tony Stark, Civil War Team Iron Man, Comic Book Science, Extremis (Marvel), Extremis Pepper Potts, Extremis Tony Stark, F/M, Hurt Tony Stark, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Pro-Sokovia Accords, Sokovia Accords, Tags May Change, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28613784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironmanic/pseuds/ironmanic
Summary: When Tony Stark wakes up after Siberia, after betrayal and blood, from what the media has already dubbed the Avengers Civil War, with Extremis running through his veins and Rhodey paralyzed and Pepper furious - he does what he knows best.He fixes things.He builds Rhodey braces for his legs, and tweaks Extremis to his liking, and makes a new suit - one that no vibranium shield will ever break. He ratifies the Sokovia Accords and remakes the Avengers under the U.N.Because something big is coming, he's known it since he flew a nuke into space, and Tony isn't going to rest until the world is ready.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 36
Kudos: 339





	1. Rhodey

**Author's Note:**

> _where the road is dark and the seed is sowed  
>  where the gun is cocked and the bullet's cold  
> where the miles are marked in blood and gold  
> I'll meet you further on up the road  
> \- Bruce Springsteen_

For the first time since he met Tony, James Rhodes uses his friend's name to get his way. He's never taken advantage of the Stark name like that before, never wanted Tony to feel that he was using him. But since he only uses that influence to get himself moved into Tony's hospital room, he hopes his friend will forgive him.

He's never before wished that Tony was just a little bit more selfish, but now he does. Looking at his comatose best friend, god, he wishes Tony was the selfish bastard the Avengers all seemed to think he was.

If he was, maybe James would still be able to walk.

Maybe Tony would be awake and not missing half his fingers.

Maybe they both would be whole.

That's not to say he blames Tony for it, for any of it. James knows that if Tony wakes up -  _ when _ he wakes up - he's going to blame himself enough for the whole world. And James will be able to say, honestly, that it wasn't Tony's fault.

His paralysis wasn't Vision's fault.

It was Steve Rogers'.

Rogers and his foolishness, his arrogance, his single-minded need to save Bucky Barnes. Because James knows, now, that's what it always been about. The Accords were just obstacles that would get in the way of his search for the Winter Soldier. That's all Steve cared about.

Or, at least, that's what he decides after he discusses things with Friday. With Tony in a coma, he and Pepper are in charge of Tony's assets. And Friday is all too eager to help them. She loves Tony, loves him the way all daughters love good fathers, and she's got vengeance on her mind.

From what James understood, Friday had been shut out of the Iron Man suit when the backup power went offline. But before that, she's watched, almost helpless, as Rogers and Barnes beat down her creator. She tells them that she helped Tony as best as she could, but in the end, Tony wasn't going all out. Or even thinking straight.

James knows that if Tony wanted to kill them, they would be dead. He could use his missiles or his lasers, or hell, even fly out of the bunker and bring it down on their heads. But he's watched the footage, from the perspective of the suit, and he knew what he was seeing. This wasn't the rage of a man out for blood. This was grief, this was revenge, this was Tony wanting to cause as much pain as he was feeling.

Unfortunately, Rogers didn't seem to realize that. Or maybe he didn't care. 

Tony told him that Rogers let Barnes beat him half to death on the helicarrier when he recognized him. It was nice to know that Tony hadn't earned that same consideration.

It was always good to know where you stood in life, after all. 

It took hours to get a team out to Siberia, while Rhodes was still in surgery. And when he woke up, Vision was back with his creator, and Tony was the one under the knife. 

By the time Tony had been wheeled into his hospital room, Rhodes was furious. He and Pepper had used that time to prepare, hoping for the best - that Tony would wake up soon, that he'd want revenge as much as they did.

But the news had been worse. The surgery had been a success, but that had been almost three days ago, and Tony still hadn't woken up.

Rhodes wondered what Rogers thought. The vultures from the media had uncovered Tony's condition, and of course, broadcasted all they knew for the world to see. And from wherever he was hiding -  _ Wakanda _ , Friday would later tell him - he surely knew by now. 

Was it worth it, Rhodes wanted to ask. 

He knew the answer. Rogers would say yes, of course, he had Bucky back.

He had won.

Or so he would think. 

Pepper was asleep now, her hand intertwined with Tony's, exhausted. But Rhodes found that sleep wouldn't take him, once again. He'd found sleep difficult, as of late. If his mind wasn't replaying his fall, it was Friday's report of what had happened, or even worse, that damn video.

Vision had retrieved it from Siberia, and it answered everything. 

Rhodes had been no fan of Howard Stark, not after seeing how he treated Tony, but no one deserved that. And Maria... she had always been kind to him. 

Tony's mother had deserved better. They both had.

And for Tony to see  _ that _ , after god knows how long without sleep, without a moment's rest. To find out that Rogers had been keeping his parent's murder from him while protecting their murderer, and even worse, searching for him on Tony's dime...

Rhodes would have cracked, too.

He thought of his father, his mother, his little sister.

He wouldn't have been as merciful. Barnes losing an arm would have been the least of Roger's problems.

But Tony had always let the Avengers get away with more than they deserved. No wonder the Accords had been such a shock - they were used to Tony dealing with that sort of thing. 

He wonders, not for the first time, if Tony had been too generous with the Avengers. With people who, as it turned out, weren't his friends at all. They had never respected the new Tony, the one who had turned a new leaf over after Afghanistan.

Maybe if Tony hadn't shielded them from the consequences of their actions, the Accords would be old news. 

Not that he blames Tony for this mess. Rogers and his friends are adults, and they made a choice. It isn't Tony's fault. And mistakes were made on his part, too.

Once, he'd thought the Avengers would be good for Tony. Pepper had, too. A group of people to watch Tony's back when they couldn't. 

Rhodes wondered if that had contributed. If his and Pepper's approval of the team had made Tony think that the abuse they heaped on him was the right thing. They'd had no idea at the time, of course, but Tony didn't know that.

It was only after Tony slipped into a coma and Pepper received control of Friday's protocols that they found out. Friday had been almost desperate to tell them, to get help for her Boss. Rhodes later figure out that she didn't have as much freedom a Jarvis previously had, probably a consequence of Ultron.

Tony still blamed himself for that, too.

The security videos of Thor choking Tony was going to haunt him almost as much as the ones from Siberia, Rhodes knew. 

"Colonel?"

The quiet, familiar voice of Friday comes from his cell phone, and Rhodey looks down at it.

"Yes, Fri?" he asks, equally quiet, wanting to let Pepper sleep.

"I've been reviewing all the data that is available, to find for a way to help Boss," she said, and Rhodes wasn't surprised at all. Friday had been very distressed when Tony hadn't woken up right away, and as the days passed, she had been even more upset.

"Have you found anything?" he asked, almost afraid for the answer.

"Maybe," and her voice is unusually hesitant. "I've been running simulations, and I believe the Extremis virus may be our solution. Using the modifications boss made to Boss Lady's version, of course."

Rhodes looks over at Tony, and wonders. The longer he stayed in his coma, he knew, the less likely it was that he would wake up. 

He had spoken to James about Extremis, after he had stabilized the version Pepper had been injected with. He had been tempted to inject himself with it, but told Rhodes that it was too dangerous.

"Besides," he had said, a wry grin on his face. "I have my suit. What do I need to be enhanced for?" 

And Rhodes knew there was a can of worms behind that sentence. Howard Stark had been behind the world's first super soldier, had given up half his life searching for Steve Rogers. And Tony had grown up with that.

There was bound to be some kind of resentment there. Tony told him, once, very drunk, that he felt like his father always compared him to Steve Rogers, and found him wanting. 

He didn't blame Tony for not wanting to be anything like Captain America. 

But he didn't think Tony would want to die, either. He had so much left to give to the world, after all.

And Rhodes wasn't ready to let him go.

Pepper wasn't ready.

"Do we have a dose of Extremis ready to go?" he asked Friday.

"No, Colonel. But I have access to Boss's notes, and I believe we can synthesize it. I suggest calling in Dr. Helen Cho - her expertise could be useful."

"Call her, Friday. Tell her Tony needs her, and that we'll fly her to New York."

"May I suggest we move Boss to the Compounds medical labs? There would be more privacy there, and they are state of the art."

"Good idea, Fri. As soon as Pepper wakes up, we'll take care of it."

He let Pepper sleep until sunrise, when his impatience got the better of him, and he woke her up.

"What is it, James," she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes. 

"Extremis," was all he said, and she froze, looking at him.

"Do you think it's really come to that?" she whispered.

He nodded.

"I do. I think that even if Tony is going to wake up on his own, he'd be looking to a hellish recovery period. Pep, he's lost  _ fingers _ . That would devastate him. Extremis will help, and if not, I've got Helen Cho coming in. Her Cradle can help with that."

Pepper looked down at Tony, her eyes full of affection.

"I told him I needed a break," she said finally, running her fingers through his hair. "I just... I needed some time. But I think Tony thought I was breaking up with him for good."

She bit back a sob.

"I'm such an idiot. I love him so much, but it's hard, watching him save the world from the sidelines. I thought it would be easier if we weren't in a relationship, but it's not."

Rhodes looked at her, pained. What he wouldn't give to go over and hug her, tell her it would be alright.

Instead, he was stuck in the fucking bed.

"Extremis will work," he insisted instead. "Tony will be fine."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right," she said, leaning down to kiss Tony on the cheek. When Pepper stood, the grief was gone from her face, replaced by determination. 

"I'll speak to his doctors about moving him to the Compound," she said, and paused as she passed James.

"Tony is going to be heartbroken when he wakes up," she said softly. "After everything that's happened. We'll be there for him, though, right? Us and Vision. And if Steve Rogers so much as shows his face..."

"We'll kick his ass, Pepper."

She smiled. It was a bitter thing.

"He deserves it, and worse. But revenge can wait until Tony is better."

Rhodes nodded. Tony would wake up to a world that was on his side. And Rogers would learn the cost of crossing Tony Stark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has been a long time coming. I've been bitter about Civil War since it came out, and apparently, I still am. So I decided to finally sit down and write the story that's been brewing in my mind ever since I watched the movie.
> 
> I'm not 100% sure where this plot is going, but ideally, I'd like to take it all the way up to Infinity War & Endgame.
> 
> Tags will be updated as the story goes on.


	2. Extremis

In all honesty, Tony didn't expect to wake up after sleep took him in the bunker in Siberia. He'd had a couple of hours to think this over, to work the five stages of grief, and in the end, he narrowed down his regrets to three people.

  1. Peter. The kid had so much potential, and in the end, Tony had handled it the wrong way. He should never have involved him with the Avengers. He should have insisted that Peter tell his aunt about his secret identity. He should have - but he didn't, and he could only hope that Peter would be okay.
  2. Rhodey. His best friend, his _brother_ , was paralyzed. Tony had a hard time not blaming himself for that one. If there was time, Tony was sure he could think up a solution. But since there wasn't, he could only hope that Rhodey's inheritance was enough for him to find a solution.
  3. Pepper. He missed her, he loved her, and he wanted, desperately, for things to work out. They might be on a break, whatever that meant, but she had assured him it was only temporary, that she still loved him. Now, he would never see her again.



Never marry her. Never - never have a _kid_.

Yeah. That particular regret was probably the worst.

And sure, he wanted to help the world, wanted to protect those he loved from danger. He wanted the Avengers to be ready for the invasion he knew was coming. But that seemed so distant, when his life was ending. 

The world would move on. He'd left the right framework, and under the Accords, superheroes and enhanced would be there.

Earth would make it. It had to. Maybe he would have made it easier, saved a few lives, but Tony wasn't so arrogant to believe himself the world's only defender. 

So yeah. Three regrets. Not bad, for a man they once called the Merchant of Death.

Then, he woke up, and things got a lot more complicated.

* * *

_Boss! Boss, calm down. It's me, Friday. Hold on! Just hold on for a little longer. It's going to be okay. We've got you now._

* * *

Tony was slow to wake.

For a long moment, he didn't remember where he was, or why he was there. He was in bed, and he could feel Pepper next to him, and all was right with the world.

Of course, it couldn't last.

Because something was different, something he couldn't put his finger on. Half-asleep, Tony realized he had forgotten something.

Something important.

_"Boss, are you awake?"_

Friday's voice was in his ear, and Tony frowned, eyes still closed. Had he forgotten to take his earpiece out before bed again? 

Pepper hated it when he did that.

_"Your heart rate is increasing and you're coming out of REM sleep. You should be up soon - I should contact Dr. Cho."_

He cut her off, mumbling as he turned over in bed.

"I'm sleepin', Fri."

_"Boss? Can - can you hear me, boss?"_

"'Course I can," he muttered, fighting to stay asleep. He didn't want to wake up.

"Tony?" Pepper raised her head from where she was asleep next to him almost scarily fast. "Tony, are you awake?"

"Pep? What's wrong?"

She sat up on her elbow, looking down at him, and he realized there were tears in her eyes.

"Oh thank god!" She leaned forward and kissed him, almost desperately, and Tony raised his arm and cupped her cheek, before pulling back.

"What is it?"

"Don't you remember?" A note of panic entered her voice. "Friday, call Dr. Cho and let Rhodey know that Tony's awake. 

What didn't he remember?

He didn't _want_ to remember. The thought came out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly.

Then, as if of their own volition, the memories came. The memories of snow, of _cold._ Of a fight, of rage and grief.

Of his mother, dying. 

Tony closed his eyes, reaching out to wrap his arms around Pepper.

"How long?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "How long was I out?"

"A week," she said, melting into his touch. 

"What happened?"

"You were in a coma, Tony," she said, and if there was a hint of something else in her voice, of anxious guilt, he ignored it. "You weren't going to wake up. So Rhodey and I-"

"And me!" Friday's voice came more distantly this time, from the speakers installed in every room of the compound. 

"And Friday," Pepper continued, "decided that we couldn't lose you."

"What did you do, Pepper?" Tony asked, dreading the answer.

" _Extremis_. Tony, I could watch you die -"

Dr. Cho burst into the room, following closely by Rhodey - Rhodey, in his wheelchair. Tony felt a brief pang of guilt, followed by determination. He was alive, no matter how, and he was going to help.

He had to.

"Tones!" Rhodey exclaimed, wheeling forward, clearly still unused to that mode of transportation. "Thank god."

"Rhodey," he said, clasping his friend's hand as he reached out to him, almost dizzy with relief.

He was _alive_.

Dr. Cho, businesslike as ever, came over and began checking his vitals.

"Well, doc," he said, bracing himself. "What's the damage?"

She smiled at him as she was checking his temperature.

"At this point, Dr. Stark, you're healthier than you have been in years," she said. "Has Pepper told you-?"

"Extremis. Yeah, she mentioned it," he said stiffly, not sure how he felt about it. He was grateful to be alive, and he would pay whatever cost that required. But he'd had the opportunity to use Extremis before, and he had turned it down.

"It saved your life," she said, quietly. 

He nodded.

"What about before? What did they do to me?" he asked, not wanting to know the answer but needing it.

"Tony..." Pepper rested her head against his shoulder.

"Your list of injuries was quite extensive," Dr. Cho said, reverting to her professional demeanor. "Most notably, we had to amputate several fingers and toes, as well as part of your nose and ears, and your artificial sternum had collapsed. You also had a severe concussion."

Tony closed his eyes. 

"And Extremis fixed everything?" he clarified, voice hoarse.

"Yes," she confirmed, "And, well..."

"What is it?"

"It went above and beyond, Tony. Damage to your liver has been repaired, your sternum has been fully regrown, and..."

"You look about ten years younger, Tones," Rhodey interjected. 

"What?" That wasn't supposed to be a side effect.

"Right now, we're theorizing that the virus went into overdrive because of the extent of your injuries. It's possible that when you modified Extremis, the energy that once went into, uh, overheating the subjects, turned to more extensive healing."

"That's.... weird," he said. "But I guess I'm not complaining." 

"Tones," Rhodey said, sounding worried. "You're awfully calm."

Tony gripped his hand tighter.

"I guess you all know what happened in Siberia?" he asked. "Well, I thought I was going to die. And I was right - I would have, without Extremis. I guess... I'm just relieved that I woke up at all. And maybe in a little bit of shock. But I wasn't ready to die. And if surviving comes with consequences, then that's just life, isn't it? I'll probably freak out later, if that makes you feel any better," he said with a grin.

And he would, he knew. Once he had a chance to process this, to accept that this wasn't some kind of fever dream brought on by imminent death, he'd deal. And Friday would help him, and so would Pepper and Rhodey.

_"Boss?"_

Friday's voice echoed through the room oddly, and he frowned. Something to fix, maybe.

"Yes, Fri?"

But before Friday could respond, Pepper looked at him with a strange expression.

"Tony, Friday isn't speaking."

With dread in his stomach, he turned his face to where the nearest camera was.

"Boss, there's another side effect."

And he realized that Friday _wasn't_ speaking, at least not in the traditional sense. He was sensing her. In his brain.

"Friday, tell me I haven't connected to the internet."

_"Sorry, Boss."_

He groaned, letting his head fall back against his pillow.

"What is it, Tony?" Pepper asked, worriedly.

"I can talk to Friday in my mind," he said, staring up at the ceiling.

"Oh. That - oh. That explains a lot, actually," she said, though she looked a little freaked out. "Right after we injected you, all the electronics in the room went crazy. The lights, the monitors, even my cell phone."

"Friday?"

"I built you some firewalls, Boss," she said, sounding pleased with herself. "But you should still have access." 

Tony closed his eyes and concentrated, not sure what he was doing. But after a moment, he found his connection to Friday, glowing blue and orange in his mind, code flowing.

_Friday?_

_Yes, Boss!_

_Thanks for taking care of me._

_Always._

* * *

At the insistence of Dr. Cho, Tony spent the rest of the day in bed while she monitored his vitals, and most importantly, his temperature. It seemed that the three of them - Pepper, Rhodey, and Friday - had been busy since he had returned. 

Almost scarily so.

Thaddeus Ross was in prison awaiting trial - Friday and Pepper had found his daughter, informed her of the situation, and she had come through with evidence of his corruption. A new Secretary of State had already been appointed.

Rhodey, on the other hand, had been dealing with the Sokovia Accords and the U.N. A few unsavory characters, Ross among them before his arrest, had been trying for something called the Superhuman Registration Act. Thankfully, Rhodey knew what he was doing, and had shut that down before it was more than a suggestion. The Accords had grown since Tony had gone out to Siberia, and now had their own committee overseeing them

"And Rogers?" Tony asked, dreading the answer. "Barnes?"

"In the wind," Rhodey said. "Rogers broke the rest of their compatriots out of The Raft, and no one has seen them since."

Tony nodded.

"Well, for now, let's let them stay hiding," he said. "But - yes, Friday?"

She had nudged him, in a kind of shy way, and he knew she had done something.

"I've already tracked Rogers," she said. "They're in Africa. Wakanda, to be precise."

Tony shook his head, half-amused. Apparently, she didn't quite grasp the concept of plausible deniability yet. That was alright. He could use this, even if it wasn't how he planned.

"Wakanda, all right," he said. "Not a move I expected from King T'Challa, but we can work with that." He hesitated for a moment before his next question. "Romanov?"

"I can't find her Boss, sorry."

"Don't blame yourself, Fri. She's good at hiding - better than Rogers, at least. What does the Committee think of her actions?"

"If and when she shows herself, she's facing sanctions under the Accords, but she has a good defense," Rhodey said. "Minimizing civilian casualties. Though whether any of us will ever trust her again, I can't say."

Tony shook his head. He'd never quite known what to make of Natasha, and though he'd trusted her to have his back in a fight, he'd never trusted her beyond that. 

"Keep an eye open, Fri. If she shows her face, let me know immediately."

"Will do, Boss. There's another matter that you should know about."

"What is it?" Tony asked, somewhat warily.

"Mrs. Laura Barton called. She wants to talk to you when you're up for it."

Tony frowned. He remembered Clint's remark at the Raft, and he couldn't say he was feeling generous towards the man. But that wasn't his wife's fault, and he had left her high and dry to go off on Captain America's word.

"Alright, thanks Fri. I'll call her in a bit," he said. "Did she give any hints about what she wanted?"

"No, but she didn't seem mad at you, Boss," Friday said knowingly. 

Tony relaxed.

"Good, that's good. I like Laura, even if I don't know what she sees in Clint," he joked. "I feel sorry for her kids, though," he said more seriously. "Maybe we can cheer them up a bit. It can't be easy, with their father gone."

He wondered, not for the first time, what Barton had been thinking. What had Rogers told him to get him to come out of retirement? Maybe Laura would know. He would ask. 

There were two more things, or rather, people, that he needed to know about. 

"How's Vision?" he asked, dreading the answer. After all, he hadn't seen him at his bedside.

Pepper and Rhodey exchanged a look.

"He's feeling guilty," Rhodey said finally. "He blames himself for my injury, and yours. And I think Wanda broke his heart."

Tony shook his head. He understood what Vision saw in Wanda - that didn't mean that he thought their budding relationship was wise. But he'd never wanted Vision to be hurt. And having your loved one throw you through a concrete floor - through _several_ concrete floors - had to be a blow. 

"Well, I'll talk to him," Tony said. "He needs to know that it wasn't his fault. Not you, not Wanda."

With that resolve, Tony spoke to Friday.

"Did the kid get back alright?" 

"Mr. Hogan took care of him, Boss. He's called asking about you several times. The news has been speculating a lot about your health, and I believe he blames himself."

Tony shook his head.

"What's with people blaming themselves for Rogers' fuck ups?" he muttered. "Alright, Fri. I'll take care of him. Any other news I should know about?"

"Yes, boss. You have a package, and I think it's from Wakanda."

That could only mean one thing.

Rogers.

The phone was a joke, and the letter was even more of one. Rhodey said they should burn both, and give DUM-E a chance to use his fire extinguisher. Tony shook his head, folded the letter, and placed it back in the box with the phone.

"It's shortsighted, honeybear," he said absently. "If they end up leaving Wakanda for whatever reason, we'll still be able to contact Rogers. And if there's an emergency, that could be valuable."

"You're not thinking of bringing them back?" Rhodey asked, aghast.

"Not in the way you're thinking, no," Tony confirmed, a flash of anger in his eyes. "I don't want to see them get pardoned with repercussions. But if worse comes to worst, we might need a soldier like Rogers, not to mention the rest."

"Tones?"

"What I saw beyond the portal... that Chitauri army. There's no way something like that developed in a vacuum. I know there's more life out there, and eventually, someone or something will decide to attack Earth again. And we're not ready."

Rhodey looked surprised, and Tony didn't blame him. He rarely talked about the trauma he went through - at least not sober - but now it seemed so long ago. Important, yes, but less impactful.

He continued, wanting to get it all out.

"Ultron was.... a mistake, primarily, but one that had good intentions. I wanted something better than the Avengers. But I can't try that again, so what I need to make is a better version of the Avengers. So yeah, I'll leave Rogers alone so long as he and his merry band of misfits keep their heads down, but only because I can use them."

That seemed to reassure Rhodey.

"Good," he said. "I know you have something in mind, Tony. Spill."

Tony smiled.

"The Avengers Initiative is an ideal," he started. "Bigger than the people who comprise it There are other super-powered people out there, and we can get their help. I've had Friday keeping tabs on some people, and it's time I approached them."

"People like that Spider-Kid," Rhodey asked knowingly. "I hope they're older, though."

Tony laughed, but it had a hint of regret to it.

"If I had known that it was going to be more than posturing, I never would have brought him along."

"Hey," Pepper said, stroking his hair. "We all underestimated Rogers, okay? And from what I hear, Spider-Man made it out unharmed. Don't go blaming yourself."

Accepting her words, Tony nodded.

"You're right," he said. "But he's so damn young... I need to talk to his aunt,"

"Wait, how old is this kid?" Rhodey asked, alarmed.

"Fifteen," Tony said sheepishly. "But you saw him fight, Rhodey-bear! He's probably stronger than Rogers."

Rhodey sighed.

"Fifteen? And his guardian has no idea? Damn, Tony. If you weren't already going to fix this, then we'd have some words."

"I know, Rhodey, and I'll do better."

"I know you will. You always do."


	3. Interlude: Wakanda

Things... well. Things hadn't worked out the way that Steve had wanted. Or planned for. He could admit that, at least to himself. And Siberia... he regretted how that had ended.

He'd never meant to hurt Tony.

He'd never meant a lot of things.

Steve glanced down at the flip-phone that he held in his hands, wondering when Tony would call. It had been a week since their fight, and he should have gotten the package already. And the letter.

He'd done his best to explain himself and his actions, and apologize for them. Now, the ball was in Tony's court.

Steve had faith in their wayward member. Tony would lick his wounds for a while - god knew he had a right - and then he would go to work. Whatever their fights, he and Tony had always agreed on one thing. The world needed the Avengers. And Tony might support the Accords, but he also knew that he would never put a piece of paper above the safety of the world. The accords would be amended or abolished, and Steve and the Avengers would go back home.

He knew it.

The other's, though, had less faith. Wakanda was beautiful and advanced in ways that would make Tony salivate, but it wasn't _home_.

Steve knew he got off easy. He had Bucky here, even if he was on ice. 

Scott, Clint, and Sam all had families they left behind. And Natasha... he wasn't sure where Natasha had gone. He only knew she had chosen the right side, in the end. Wanda was doing the best of them, besides Steve. She liked Wakanda, and she was as against the Accords as he was. She missed Vision, she had confided in him, but knew that he would be waiting for her.

He just wondered how long they would be stuck there. Surely, Tony was already working on bringing them back - he'd heard that Thaddeus Ross was in prison, and that had Tony's fingerprints all over it. But, he supposed, red tape made these things take time.

"Steve! Stark is on TV! He's giving a press conference!"

Steve stood almost embarrassingly fast and headed inside from the balcony. On the huge television, a reporter was speaking about how this was Tony's first appearance since the "Civil War." Steve wanted to laugh. He'd heard what the media were calling it, and he thought it was a bit overly dramatic. It had hardly been a war. 

He sat down next to Wanda, barely fighting back the grin on his face. This was it, he knew it. Tony's first step in bringing them back. He had always told Steve about the importance of having the people understand them, and that's what he was doing now.

The reporter stepped away from the camera, and the angle shifted to a lone podium on a stage. After a moment, Tony emerged, only for the reporters to start shouting questions. And Steve didn't blame them. Because Tony looked like he'd been de-aged by about ten years.

"Holy shit, man, what did Stark do to himself?" Sam asked what they were all thinking, staring at the screen. Steve shifted uncomfortably. Why would Tony do something like that?

Was it some kind of super soldier serum? Steve was disappointed.

Tony flashed one of his patented press smiles at the crowd of reporters.

"I'll be taking questions soon," he said into the microphone. "Just let me give my speech first, all right? I've got cards and everything. I promise I'll stick with them, this time," he joked, referring to his infamous I am Iron Man speech.

Steve hated that speech. He remembered his words on the helicarrier, when he had first met Tony. What a fool he'd been. 

He liked to think he knew Tony better, now. That he could see behind the masks he wore. But he didn't know what the look on Tony's face meant.

The reporters quieted, all eager for a story, and Tony began.

At first, Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tony was telling the truth, at least the truth from his perspective, but it didn't sound right.

Steve hadn't almost killed him. Steve hadn't left him to die.

Sam was staring at him in horror as Tony related the tale of his parent's deaths, their _murder_ , and how he found out. Clint had closed his eyes, and was breathing deeply in a way that told Steve he was trying to control his temper. Scott looked sick. 

That wasn't how it had happened.

 _Right_?

* * *

T'Challa, King of Wakanda and the Black Panther, watched Tony Stark's press conference. He wouldn't, normally, but he had recently learned that Steve Rogers sent him a phone and a letter, and he knew that Stark was skilled enough to track it back to Wakanda. He had to know if he would.

What he found disgusted him.

He remembered the base in Siberia, of course he did. Finding Helmut Zemo, the man truly responsible for his father's death, and deciding to bring Barnes and Rogers back to Wakanda with him. It was his responsibility, after he had fought them for the wrong reasons.

Rogers had assured him the Stark was fine. Awake, talking, and ready to go home. T'Challa hadn't questioned him. After all, everyone knew the story of Iron Man, everyone knew that Tony Stark could handle himself.

He hadn't known that Rogers had beaten the man down that badly.

Badly enough to use an experimental drug to save his life.

T'Challa shook his head, regret filling him. No wonder Stark hadn't been at the Accords meetings. He had wondered.

What a fool he'd been. He should never have taken Rogers word at face value.

But there was no time for regrets. He watched Stark charm the room, and knew that this man could be as formidable an enemy as he could be an ally.

Wakanda couldn't afford to alienate Stark, or his company, not if there were going to join the rest of the world.

Shuri had been right. Taking in Barnes had been one thing, but allowing the rest to stay had been a mistake. 

One that he would rectify.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time attempting to write from either Steve's or T'Challa's perspective, and I'm not entirely satisfied. Still, I hope it gives a peek at how things are going with the rest of the Avengers.


	4. starbucks

With reporters still shouting questions, mostly about the Avengers, Tony left the stage, slipping his note cards into his pocket. He considered the press conference to be a success, though there was no way to know for sure until he read the ensuing articles.

Pepper was waiting for him to the side, hidden from the cameras, and she kissed him, a smile on her face.

"You stuck to the cards," she said, surprised and pleased. Tony grinned.

"I did help write them, this time," he said. "That helps."

She shook her head, both of them remembering another press conference. Tony had been so young then, in more ways than one. But he had been right, not to hide his identity. Transparency was the first step to accountability, after all. 

"I'm meeting with the Spider-Kid today," he said, changing the subject. "Hopefully his aunt won't flip out _too_ badly when she hears about his extracurricular activities."

"Will I get to meet him, then?" she asked.

Tony grinned. He'd mentioned meeting Pepper to Peter when they talked on the phone, and he seemed more impressed with Ms. Potts than he did with Tony.

Which was totally understandable. Tony was more impressed by Pepper, too. 

"I hope so," he said. "He's brilliant, and very excitable. I think you'll like him."

"I do, too," she said. "Be gentle when you tell his aunt, okay? It's going to be hard for her to accept."

"I will."

They kissed briefly, Pepper running her fingers through Tony's hair. They'd had a long talk the previous day about their relationship, and it was a conversation that had been a long time coming. Pepper explained why she had needed a break, and Tony accepted her apology for not being more clear. Their partnership, both personal and professional, was stronger than ever.

Tony thought he was going to ask her to marry him, soon. And he was pretty sure she was going to say yes.

But first, Peter.

Tony pecked Pepper on the cheek, leaving her to give the subsequent Stark Industries conference, and slid into his Audi R8, Happy behind the wheel. Apart from himself, he was the only person who knew Spider-man's identity.

"So, boss, press conference go well?" Happy asked as he pulled out onto the street, heading for Queens.

"As well as can be expected. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of speculation about the Extremis virus, and my appearance, but I think we've got it handled. And I have a one on one with Christine Everhart that's going to be published."

"Everhart?" Happy asked, glancing back at him in the rearview mirror. "Are you sure?"

"She's tough, fair, and respectable," Tony said with a shrug. "I trust her to do her research and not take my words at face value, and so will other people. That's the kind of press we need right now."

"If you say so," Happy said.

They spent the drive in companionable silence. One thing that Tony has always liked about Happy and their friendship is that they were comfortable with each other, comfortable enough that they didn't need to fill the silence with small talk.

Happy pulled up in front of the Parkers apartment building.

"We might be a while," Tony said. "Get a Starbucks or something."

"You're going to tell his aunt, right?" Happy asked. Tony nodded, and he snorted. "I'll bring her something."

"Yeah, probably a good idea," Tony said. "Coffee makes everything better."

Tony stepped out of the car, and Happy waited for him to enter the building before he sped off.

He knocked at the Parkers door, and Peter opened it, looking anxious.

"Are you sure we have to tell her?" he whispered, looking back over his shoulder. "May is going to freak."

"Yeah, Peter," Tony said patiently. "Either we tell her together, or I will, but either way, she's finding out. I can't in good conscious let you keep doing this without her knowledge. Listen," he said, putting his arm around Peter as they entered the apartment. "If you don't tell her, she's going to find out on her own, eventually."

"But Mr. Stark-"

"Peter, what do you think it would be like for May if you got hurt, and that's how she found out? If, god forbid, something happened? Do you really want to do that to her?"

"No," Peter whispered.

"Listen, I've tried the whole _push people away to save them_ thing," Tony said, trying to interject some humor into the moment. "It doesn't work like you imagine it would. Now, you can do this. Trust me."

Peter nodded.

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "May!" he called out, "Mr. Stark is here! He wants to talk to you about the internship!"

Tony closed his eyes, a little pained. Peter hadn't even told his aunt that Tony was coming?

Not a great way to start. But there was nothing to be done about it now. Tony would just have to wing it.

"How you doing, May?" he asked with a winning smile, sitting down when she invited him to do so.

"Oh, busy at the hospital, as usual. It's been a relief, knowing there's another adult in Peter's life that cares about him," she said, and Tony hid a wince.

"Well, I've been trying," he said gamely. "Listen, Peter has something that he needs to tell you, and he asked me to be here for moral support." It was close enough to the truth, anyway.

May turned to Peter, a concerned look on her face. Tony could only imagine what she was expecting - but it was nothing like the truth.

"May," Peter said, "Um. Okay, so, the thing is..." he looked at Tony, hesitating. Tony reached out and put his hand on Peter's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. 

"Go on, Peter," he said. 

Peter looked back at his aunt, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"I am Spider-Man."

* * *

Somewhat flustered, Tony left the Parkers apartment, Happy drinking his coffee behind him. True to his word, the man had brought her a coffee and a sympathetic ear. She was too furious at Tony to listen to him, but apparently Happy was good at calming parental figures. Who knew? 

May had, as expected, freaked out. Her ire had been mostly at Tony, which he was glad for. Tony could take it. He didn't want Peter to have to.

The two had done their best to calm Peter's aunt down, but she was pretty angry at both of them for keeping it a secret from her, and at Tony especially once she figured out that he had taken Peter to Germany. His assurances that he hadn't thought a fight would break out fell on deaf ears.

"I don't care!" she had almost yelled. "He's only fifteen! He shouldn't be leaving the _city_ without my permission, let alone the country!"

And yeah, point made. That was on Tony, though, and he had made sure she knew it. The last thing he wanted was for her relationship with Peter to suffer.

In the end, though, May had put an end to any Spider-man activities, at least for the near future. Peter looked devastated.

Tony didn't say it, because he didn't need May to be more pissed at him, but he thought she just needed time to cool down. If she didn't let him, Peter would start superheroing on his own.

And that would be bad.

It wasn't something he wanted to bring up when things were so fresh, however. May wouldn't be open to hearing it at the moment, in any case. She needed time to think.

At least May hadn't completely put a stop to the internship, which was a very real offer. Tony thought Peter was a brilliant young man, quite beyond his abilities as Spider-Man, and he wanted to nurture that in him. Peter could still come to the tower to work on SI things - after he was finished being grounded, at least.

Peter had been hanging his head, looking like a kicked puppy when Tony had left, so he made sure to leave him an uplifting text as he was being driven away.

_You did good, kid. Your aunt will come around. In the meantime, think about your Spider-Man suit. I think we can make it even better._ _\- T Stark_

Hopefully, that would take Peter's mind off things. Tony was sure he had some ways to improve the suit, and he couldn't wait to hear them.

Once he was back at the tower, Tony changed out of his suit with a sigh of relief. It was another kind of armor, one that he had been wearing since he was a kid, and no less stressful to wear than the Iron Man suit. He was more comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans. 

Especially after the stress of talking to May Parker. Even if he couldn't blame her for her outrage, it was difficult to listen to.

Pepper was off dealing with Stark Industries matters, though she had promised to be home for dinner. And so he was left to go to the workshop.

The workshop was built into the foundation of Stark Tower, unlike the labs in the upper floors, and was made to mimic his lab in Malibu - except bigger, and better. He had labs in the compound, of course, but his workshop was his favorite. After all, he kept his bots there.

Butterfingers, DUM-E, and U, and of course Friday (a _nd Jarvis_ ) were the closest thing to children Tony had, and he adored them, coding flaws included. Most people didn't understand that.

Pepper did. That was one of the things that made him fall in love with her.

"Okay, Friday," he said, taking a seat in front of one of the many touchscreens that were available to him. "Let's work on the next suit. Open Project Mark 47. First thing we need to look into - nanotech."

"You got it, boss," she said.

It had occurred to Tony, when he was in Siberia, waiting for rescue, that a self-repairing suit would be pretty handy, right about then. And the only way to accomplish that was nanobots. Luckily, there were people working on that idea already, and he would be able to build on those ideas - after paying them a handsome royalty, and making it known that they helped build the newest, shiniest Iron Man suit. Most people jumped at the opportunity.

Tony was still getting used to the effects of Extremis. He would go to do things the manual way- type, or select a file - and it would just happen, his thoughts ahead of his actions. Not to mention the three mugs he had broken, and the carafe of coffee, because he wasn't used to his new strength.

Maybe Peter could help him, he mused, as he absorbed the latest research on nanotech. He'd gone through a similar change. And it might take his mind off his lack of Spider-Man activities. 

The next thing he knew, Pepper was behind him, leaning against his back. 

"It's time for dinner," she murmured into his neck, kissing him gently. "I told you I'd be back in time."

With a mental twitch, he saved his work, before turning around in Pepper's arms.

"You were right," he said, catching her lips in a proper kiss. "What are we having?"

"I thought Chinese," she said. "I ordered yours already. It's waiting upstairs."

"I do love a woman who knows what she wants," Tony said with a grin. His stomach rumbled. 

"Mmhmm. And what I want is for you to eat. Did you skip lunch again?"

Tony shrugged sheepishly.

"Maybe. Happy brought me a Starbucks!"

"Coffee is not lunch," Pepper scolded. "Come on, let's go eat."

He trailed behind her as she led him out of the workshop, the lights dimming as he left. Even Tony didn't know if it was Friday or him, and for the moment, he didn't care.

He had Pepper, and that was enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments! I read them all, even if I'm terrible at responding.


End file.
